FBI Director Robert Mueller acknowledged the law enforcement agency uses drone aircraft in the United States for surveillance in certain difficult cases.

Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that drones are used by the FBI in a "very, very minimal way and very seldom."

He did not say how many unmanned surveillance vehicles (UAVs) the FBI has or how often they have been used.

But a law enforcement official told CNN the FBI has used them a little more than a dozen times but did not say when that started. The official said drones are useful in hostage and barricade situations because they operate more quietly and are less visible than traditional aircraft such as helicopters.

The FBI said it used a UAV earlier this year to monitor the situation where a boy was held hostage in a bunker in Alabama.

Bureau spokesman Paul Bresson said their use allows "us to learn critical information that otherwise would be difficult to obtain without introducing serious risk to law enforcement personnel."

Bresson said the aircraft can only be used to perform surveillance on stationary subjects and the FBI must first get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly in a "very confined geographic area."

Surveillance fallout

Mueller's comments come as the Obama administration grapples with political and other fallout from the public disclosure of top-secret surveillance programs, which has triggered new debate over reach of national security vs. privacy rights.

National security and law enforcement officials have defended National Security Agency telephone and e-mail surveillance of overseas communications as an effective tool in fighting terror.

President Barack Obama has assured Americans the government is not listening to their phone conversations or reading their e-mail.

But Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked Mueller whether the FBI had guidelines for using drones that would consider the "privacy impact on American citizens."

Mueller replied the agency was in the initial stages of developing them.

"I think the greatest threat to the privacy of Americans is the drone and the use of the drone, and the very few regulations that are on it today and the booming industry of commercial drones," the California Democrat said.

Mueller said he would need to check on the bureau's policy for retaining images from drones and report back to the panel.

"It is very narrowly focused on particularized cases and particularized needs and particularized cases," said Mueller. "And that is the principal privacy limitations we have."

Sen. Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat, said he was concerned the FBI was deploying drone technology and only in the initial stages of developing guidelines "to protect Americans' privacy rights."

Grassley wants answers from Holder

Grassley sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder following the hearing asking why written information Holder sent him last month about federal law enforcement use of drones included related information about the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, but not the FBI.

Grassley sought answers to several questions and asked Holder to reply by June 28. He wants to know who at the FBI authorized drone use and information on the uses and limitations of their use and whether any are armed or capable of being armed.

The Justice Department said it was reviewing Grassley's letter.

Mueller said Wednesday the drones were used for surveillance.

Members of Congress and privacy advocates have pressed for regulations on the use of drones, and their use in counterterror operations overseas was a controversy that flared publicly during confirmation hearings for CIA Director John Brennan earlier this year.

Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, delayed a vote on Brennan with a filibuster over the possible use of drones against American citizens on U.S. soil.

Attorney General Eric Holder told Paul in a March 4 letter that "the U.S. government has not carried out drone strikes in the United States and has no intention of doing so."

Last month, Paul introduced legislation to prevent "unwarranted government intrusion" by drones.

The bill proposes that law enforcement officers be prohibited from using drones to gather surveillance or collect evidence without a warrant, unless there is an imminent danger to life or a high risk of a terrorist attack.

The measure also makes an exception so that drones can be used to patrol the nation's borders. The Senate has not taken up Paul's proposal. A similar one was previously introduced in the House.

Drone use more common

Unmanned drone use is becoming more common in the United States although it is not lawful in many cases.

The FAA forecasts some 10,000 civilian drones will be in use in the United States within five years, including those for law enforcement and commercial purposes.

Amie Stepanovich, of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, has previously said law enforcement should not use drones as an alternative to police patrols.

She said that they should be used for specific operations and that Congress should pass a law requiring legal permission.

Because they are cheaper to use than helicopters, unmanned aircraft can be used to monitor crops and livestock, look at damage to buildings and for other uses.

The FAA recently announced plans to create six drone test sites around the country.

soundoff(993 Responses)

"FBI Director Robert Mueller acknowledged the law enforcement agency uses drone aircraft in the United States for surveillance in certain difficult cases." I don't have a problem with this. I think it probably is great for ease dropping. As long as they are not shooting missiles i really don't care.

Finally the drone conversation is going to be heard. CNN hid the authorization of drones by Congress at 4 a.m. and for about half an hour... instead put their entire repertoire into... Whitney Houston. I oppose drones.

In these days of austerity and relative anxiety about incurring debt, lots of people balk resistant to the idea of using a credit card to make purchase of merchandise or even pay for a holiday, preferring, instead to rely on this tried along with trusted approach to making transaction – cash. However, if you possess cash there to make the purchase fully, then, paradoxically, that's the best time to use the credit card for several factors.

i think they use them more than they say i caught one spying on me one day and im just a simple farmer broke out a telescope and it scurried off behind the mountain and i am not kidding i had witnesses seems if they think even the slightest odd about you they'll be a peeking in yer window ,here is a quote no one knows about , we oppose the deceivers , believe there is still good out there, every one its getting a bit bleak now a days seems the best any one can do is try your hardest be good and fight with kindness show them how happy you are because these people are sad miserable people who live in fear we should pity them they are destroying our planet but they have to much power for any one to do any thing about it except point out there misery, be happy and hope.....

Perhaps like with NSA Surveillance, Obama will say FBI drones have saved lives, but this begs the question: have those lives really been worth saving? Fortunately, the FluffingtonPost has the answer via an exclusive exposé of the "NSA Eight"! (Great satire) http://bit.ly/16j9NmN

People say there is a RACE problem. People say this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY and ONLY into White countries.
People say the only solution to the RACE problem is if ALL and ONLY White countries "assimilate," i.e., intermarry, with all those non-Whites.

But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against White people, Anti-Whites agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.

You must be living a life of misery with so much rascism! DRONE SURVAILLANCE is the topic not WHITE PEOPLE UNDER THREAT OF EXTINCTION! Also with People like me still around it won't happen although i am not white.

Remote controlled crafts are not drones, they are different in many ways, the only similar things are they record and transmit video and can fly. It's about time we started using these things to help control those that like to break laws and run from society. The rest of us have nothing to be concerned about.

Why wouldn't the US use drones inside the USA. They are already getting information from mobile phones, computers etc targeting certain groups of people. So if they will do all of these things why not use drones inside the USA? So I don"t trust this who scandal. This white house is the most corrupt in history.

I assume we don't own the airspace above our house. So, could my neighbor buy a drone equipped with cameras and fly it over my property? If I don't own the airspace above my house, then I would think so.

I understand that we need to get into some peoples phone records to fight terror but I draw the line over the use of drones in America. the chance of losing freedom out weighs the potential gain from this invasion of privacy.

Lighten up folks on the drone issue.. What's the diff between the pilot being inside the aircraft or sitting in the back of some trailer? It just saves the taxpayer valuable money and fuel doing the same thing with a cheap drone. Just because in iraq everything can be fitted with missiles.. since when has anybody seen a police chopper stateside fitted with missiles? ridiculous idea.. just hope someone just as ridiculous doesn't try it.

I fully agree with you that there should be no distinction drawn between a pilot flying from inside the aircraft or from a remote location, but the issue at stake here isn't about being uncomfortable about unmanned aircraft. It is about the fact that any aircraft, manned or otherwise, are secretly and invisibly monitoring the country. It's a privacy concern.

Would you object to a drone the size of a briefcase hovering outside your windows and taking pictures because you are a member of a certain political party? What if it was following your kids to school? That is why guidelines need to be developed.

omg you have be living under a rock to not know this was going on... how stupid do they think people are (or how stupid are people).
This is a travesty and the FBI should be brought up on charges of treason (along with the CIA and NSA)..

If drones are only used for things that traditionally were done by manned aircraft it's not a big deal. But that's the real quesiton. There should be independent people allowed to monitor drone usage within the U.S.

I think it's important to consider that with manned aircraft there existed a practicality limit in how much could be surveiled, and as such, it was understood that greater scrutiny would be required before LE would undertake aerial surveillance due to the constraints on manpower, time, fuel, etc. With the use of UAVs they have far fewer physical constraints and it may be important to introduce policy constraints as a compromise that was formerly unnecessary.

People shouldn't be shocked, but we shouldn't be complacent either. Our privacy is gone, robots are flying around spying on us and all we do is shrug our shoulders and say "Oh yeah, I knew this was going on." like that makes us intelligent somehow? I'd rather people be shocked and outraged than jaded and passive.

Outrage and madness does what? The point is that nobody is going to do anything about it except post on sites such as this. People are lazy and it takes time and effort to stop something like this. This will be a subject for a few weeks and then everyone will forget it.

As soon as the word 'drone' is mentioned, people freak out. 'Drone' doesn't mean it was armed, only that it was controlled by a human pilot who was remote instead of on-board. The legality of this type of airborne surveillance is no different than a manned police helicopter. Seriously, anyone who has ever looked at Google Maps knows you don't need a warrant to look out the window of a helicopter or plane.

I don't understand this. We don't have money to secure our borders but we have money to spy on american citizens... and with the latest technology. All this money and technology should've been used to capture Mexico's drug cartel lords and to prevent human trafficking (aka as their corrupt politicians, military officials and police).

See, now why would you wanna stop the drug lords when you make good money off of them? Come on!!! Just saying if the government really wanted to stop the drugs n traffic then they would! Look at our technology, they found Bin laden, you telling me they cant catch the drug lords?! LMAOx10

Just what is the difference between a drone with a camera in government owned air space and a man with binoculars in a chopper or a man with binoculars on the hill side or in a tree. NONE. This argument about method is crazy.

More people die in bathtubs every year than from terrorism. A religion did not change your life, your fear of low percentage catastrophe did. Freedom isn't free. I wonder how many people who shout that really understand what it means. Freedom isn't free. You have to accept a level of risk for your freedom. If you don't want to have your pockets patted down when you enter a public place you have to accept the .00000000018% chance that someone will bring a grenade in and blow you up. If someone is willing to give up their life for the chance to kill others it's going to be difficult to stop them, especially if their target is "whoever". The answer here is not to hand over the keys to your house car and safe deposit box to the government for "protection".

Why do you need a warrant to look at anything that is visible from government or public area. Does a cop need a warrant to look in your front yard as he goes down the street. The crazy tea party want a world with no laws and no enforcement. The drive is really toward who owns the air space above property. When you buy a piece of property will you own the air space above it, will it become yours, will you charge airlines and aircraft to fly over your property. Will you be able to sell those air rights how about those radio and TV electronic waves will they be able to pass through your air space.

kmac: "Does a cop need a warrant to look in your front yard as he goes down the street"

No, but would you be ok with him climbing on your roof or fence to see what you're doing in your own backyard that you've grown hedge to protect your privacy?

June 20, 2013 at 10:03 am |

george washinsen

This is no surprise either about the drones. It is amazing how we wake up so fast. Now we have someone digging up an old plane crash just for the price of the commercial time it can sell. I doubt many of the victims of this thing needs this again in their lives. I can see now former people who investigated or helped, coming out of the woodwork,for pay,to rewrite what they must have helped cover up before ,if this new version is true. They had their chance then,why not then.

I don't see how this is different than car cams or using motorcycles, helicopters or robots. I expect law enforcement to use the best tools available to keep the peace. I don't think this is at all like reading my email or listening to my phone conversations. Google glass is 10 times more invasive as far as I am concerned.

Your right about Google glass. Once the pervs get a hold of that it will be a more ridiculous world, but I do have problems with drones too. With the less risk involved on the law enforcement side I can see this easily getting implemented further and further. London had the expense and permission of property owners of putting surveillance cameras through out the city, but a drone with the new ultra-pixel cameras on it can sweep several blocks at once. I see these being over every major city if not put in check.

So you say to yourself, so what? I'm not up to anything so why do I care. If you take everything in total, all your digital history and records with your personal comings and goings, all this information can easily be made in retrospect to make you look like you were capable of anything. This is also the core of what values we stand for. "Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither." – Benjamin Franklin

Well here's another take on the idea. Whose to say that information gathered is always used for law enforcement? It has been proven time and again how corrupt private information gatherers sell out to the highest bidders, so on one side you have a legal safe use but like anything else put into the hands of government, it will be abused and abused and abused.
I say if it is used for life saving issues and limited to that, fine any other use such as eavesdropping, general gathering of intel should be banned and anyone caught in the act of such will get 20 years. min. now hows that working for ya?????

Boy, the news keeps getting worse and worse for our country. At some point the sheepsters are going to revolt. I have been a huge Obama supporter, but this latest news makes me wonder if the guy has any control over the country.

I don't have a problem with the use of drones for surveillance. I do have a problem with the continued "misstatements" and convenient "ommissions" coming out of Holder & this administration. Waiting to hear Holders' excuse this time

Your argument has been used by all totalitarian governments to keep an eye on and to control their citizens (Soviets, Chinese, etc.)

I agree that criminals have the most to worry about, but if you think there has been mistakes and abuses of power by local police departments in the past, just wait until the government starts a targeted strike program by drones.

Have you been discharged with honor; from US military service?
Do you own a Bible ?
Do you own an American flag ?
Do you own ANY guns ?
Have you EVER had ANY thoughts of LIMITED GOVERNMENT ?
Have you EVER said ANYTHING bad about PUBLIC UNIONS ?
Have you EVER thought that you have been taxed too much ?
Are you opposed to TAX PAYER funded; abortion on demand ?
Have you EVER listened to conservative talk radio ?

our founding fathers created a weak federal governmennt for a reason. Right now we are witnessing what happenes wheb the federal gov. is given too much power. Forget states rights, what about the rights of the citizens? if something isn't done to stop things like this and take power away from the fed and the president, then we might as well resign ourselves to an oligarchy.

This is quite entertaining. Sounds like Chuck Henry is black because rather doing any stating of facts he just throws the race card around. Keep up the ad hominym attacks will confide no one. My ancestors came from Germany and Hitler and it sure sounds like you need to read up on that. How did he come to power? Or did they not teach that at your school? Btw Grassley just lives down the road. He's a farmer and just a regular guy. Read his story while you're at it. To everyone around here who he may interact with he's just Chuck not Charles.

to defeat the national debt we could secede from the union declare states sovereignty. Either that or go to war against the federal government. What are they gonna do when our own troops stand down their orders to fire on us? Hire their UN thugs to try and wax us? We are tired of a government of by and for Banks and Lobbyists.

Certainly true, and I don't have any major objections to such things. But there needs to be proper oversight to guard against abuse, and someone needs to think about what might happen when one of these things crashes into a crowd or freeway. It's real easy to lose radio control, especially in urban environments.

It's not that easy to lose radio control over a UAV, but when you do, there are fail-safes. Return to home, hover in place, waypoint return.

June 20, 2013 at 5:10 am |

bankrupt1

It will end up in the wrong hands or perverts will interpret everything wrong so they can feel the power. Training isn't always right and you can't go on looks, or even what people say. Seems like they could use it to find out who is bribing who in our government. That would be a good use.

It's just too confusing to break it down into "my party vs. your party" on this issue. Obama supports military drone strikes – Republicans are trying to hold back an emerging industry. This issue makes American politics topsy-turvy. :-)

I know. It's not even a secret. Monsanto, a chemical company that manufactures some of the most toxic chemicals known to man, uses surveillance and harassment to intimidate farmers, then force them to pay profit shares, because their crop is contaminated with their genetically engineered seeds. Farmers must also agree to a gag order. And it's all legal.

Here we go taking exception to development of technology ( drones vs surveillance satellites) the latter that were already capable of use.
Ever heard of Spy satellites that can hone in and read the number plates off cars or Google earth, where I can hone in on exactly where I live.... that was earth shattering to me. It means not just our lovely government but any terrorist or person with a grudge against me can see when I'm home or not = chose the right time for sniper surveillance with an illegal gun or place an IED he finds out how to make off the internet to blow me up, or even a pressure cooker bomb.
The total crassness of some media is awful. They sit there pontificating and saying transparency = they have to have the final say on the parameters of operation and what any specific government and its agencies determine shall be classified and secret. That's impractical.
WE have oversight of all parts of government including the FBI... now if it takes the FBI to tell congress about the use of drones and why and the oversight committee had not discovered that worrying about whose fault or why we didn't know is irrelevant .
The only issue is did drone use help save lives or solve a crime or even partly prevent a crime.... so congress do your job lay down the rules and stop making a major crisis out of things that could already be done irrespective of drones. Drones just make it easier and more effective results wise. Our president and government have duty to defend us against all enemies foreign and domestic.
Regards,
Hodgson.

As it happens, there really aren't a lot of regulations on drones, either privately- or publicly-owned. They can be used by anyone, from a police agency, to a private detective, to a stalker. It's an interesting new world.

Evidently it concerns modern liberals also. Read the article again with comprehension. CNN spent a lot of print space on Grassley's concerns, typical of this particular new agency however they also mentioned Feinstein's concerns as well.

Right here, John: 3drobotics.com and diydrones.com – good sources of information for anyone concerned about drones as not all drones are alike.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the FBI is using multirotors like the one on the front page there. A multirotor has a range of about a mile or two, battery life of maybe 15 minutes, and a payload of 10 – 20 lbs., tops. They are better than manned helicopters because they can get in closer and maneuver through cover (fly through a window, etc), but a multirotor is only good for surveillance if you've already got the target's general location (up on that roof, beyond that fence, etc.) – useful for a dragnet but not the sole necessary tool. So this type of drone is used primarily in a hostage/stand-off situation to find and identify the suspect and any immediate hazards in the area so that SWAT teams can move in to engage.

June 20, 2013 at 12:54 pm |

DW

All these stories about nothing and yet they make so many people upset.

Drones done shot a dead man down
The first shlt I took was when I was on the ground
You end up like a dog that's been watched too much
Till you spend half your life just figuring what.. Drones in the U.S.A.
We got drones in the U.S.A.
We got drones in the U.S.A.

This is technology. Everybody loves technology, right? How about that smartphone that replaced your simple cell phone that replaced your cordless landline phone that replaced your dial phone? Who still owns a rotary dial phone? How is a drone different from say, the Goodyear blimp hovering over the football stadium equipped with video cameras shooting film of you in bleachers, or over your political rally or street protest, or those traffic cameras installed at intersections to see you running a redlight and getting your tag number? The time to protect privacy is to prevent the next step in technology from being manufactured and sold to somebody who will use it. But who wants to stifle technology development? Nobody. We want whatever the technicians invent next, don't we?

If it's going to create 1984, stiffle the technology. The technology is available to clone humans, but it was banned worldwide for the greater good. If you want your every move to be monitored by the government, visit North Korea, Iran, or China. Get a good look at those government's use of the technology you want to deify.

This whole thing seems to be way over the line. Every other headline is "admits" like someone broke down on the witness stand on a Perry Mason show. Is anyone surprised? Why shouldn't they use them? Grassley just needed to find a way to get in the spotlight, reading (and not very well) the questions that someone else had written for him, as if he had discovered some deep, dark secret. And Sen. Feinstein, if you really think that drones are the biggest threat to our privacy, you haven't been on line lately. The fact is time and science march on, new techniques are developed, and every one of them is scary, whether its gunpowder or balloons or planes or fingerprints or drones. And it is not going to stop whether we like it or not. I would feel a lot better if we had people in Congress who could and would act intelligently, pursue meaningful questions and investigations, and act in our best interests for a change.

Let's get all freaked out about the FBI trying to stop crime. Boy that's scary. It's horrible how they violated the privacy of Al Capone, and John Dillinger, as well as nailed a lot of traitor selling secrets to the Soviets during the cold ware. But I suppose those must be your heroes folks. They like the drones because they can get them in position in a timely manner instead of waiting to maneuver the Satellite while some hostages get it in the neck. Wake up you paranoid crybabies.

yea the govt is just doing all this to protect us... hahahahaaha. Chuck believes it. Chuck believes in Obama too. Some people are just too relient and believe in govt too much. Chuck is one of them. Thinks the USA is invincible. Thats what Rome thought too. Sorry Chuck but the govt is obviously up to no good if you cant see it by now you are either completely retarded or you are in denial. It just takes some people longer to understand stuff. Chuck is one.

Listen, we Americans can't do anything about it anyways. Try to stop the government from doing something they are intent on doing and you will end up like MLK, President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X and Stokley Carmichael. I can see a civil war coming, because these corrupt government officials will stop at nothing, to make zombies out of all of us.

That is why every single american needs to arm up, and tell the government ebgough is enough. This is our country, they administer it, it is not theres to rule. PFC Manning is a hero, Snowden is a hero, Asange is a hero.

Really? ARM UP. Well that just proves the FBI needs this drone capability to keep track and pinpoint nuts like you.

June 20, 2013 at 12:56 am |

Kenny Kiklar

Chuck Henry is a good little sheep. Bow down to your ma$ters, Chuck. Kiss the king's ring.

June 20, 2013 at 1:06 am |

Chuck Henry

Hey Kenny, I can't wait to see you with all you big talk on the news soon taking on the FBI. I'm glad you were able to escape from the Branch Davidian compound back in the day, but it might be a little harder now. You are the sheep. It's people like you that gave Hitler his start. Fascist loser. Kenny – "If'in it twernt for the goverment and dem black folk, I'd be a millonare butz they are keepin me down"

And I hate to break this to you Rambo, but everything you need to know about the Kennedy assassination is in the Warren report. I just wanted to address that since that is probably where you were going next.

June 20, 2013 at 1:20 am |

doregroj

not surprised tell me whats the difference between a drone over your head or a satellite over your head, seeing the same thing. Havent you seen the movie yet.

I see you don't want to address your racism. Wow, fear of a black planet run wild.

June 20, 2013 at 1:33 am |

Downfall

"Fear of a black planet run wild?" I wrote nothing about blacks, or anything remotely related to race, ethnicity etc. Your reading comprehension leaves much to be desired, no doubt you ditched school more often than attended.

June 20, 2013 at 1:49 am |

KandisBot

I've had spy drones here from Libya. The couple worked at HUD with me & were known to Washington to be overseas in Libya. Since then I've seen them a few times & they've spoken. The first Libyan one had spoken & looked smug just as it had said. Bugs & birds.

I Politicians are mostly corrupt and corporations profit from that. Most politicians are CEOs, executives, major stock holders, and they have connections to the super wealthy and corporations. They are detached from the realities that the rest of us citizens face – they do not have our worries. Politicians should act in our interests – not make us targets for terrorists and outlaws. We are their employers.

WHo are the FBI agents using drones? I mean, what are their names? I would trust them a lot more if they had the guts to be identified and own up to what they are doing. The problem really arises when federal government employees caught abusing their authority (like the IRS guys) don't get exposed or punished. Anonymity is the key to corruption. It is the same weapon that protects a terrorist.

These programs were started before Obama. The FBI, NSA, and CIA should deploy all necessary technology to keep us safe just as long as they don't unnecessarily violate our privacy. This is government of the people by the people and it is the legislators you voted in that authorized all these programs. Why are people not equally complaining about the commercial use of these same technologies.

While drones are pretty awesome for surveillance, No doubt the FBI will abuse this just like they misuse thier informant program and informant money. They wont be watching thier informant criminals, or potential terrorists – like the boston marathan bomber (who was probably an informant of the FBI). The FBI will be watching thier critics while trying to drum up new ways to create and scapegoat a negative public sentiment against thier critics.

Man, this is out of control. Everyday no matter what I eat. The US Government knows what it is and then run stupid ads from the place. This is beyond absurd. Stop claiming its terrorist your watching. I am a veteran and American. What the hell is wrong with these people? Why is nothing being done?

It just keeps getting worse. Boy is the federal government out of control. And after 5 years in office there is no one to blame but Obama. And yes, he is making war on his own people or at least setting the stage.

This is all deception. They just want to get people worked up about these drones while they develop the insect-sized ones that can enter your house through your soffits or ventilation system and watch your every move and listen in on every conversation. NSA has the algorithms to crunch all the data. Watch what you gripe about at dinner. Better not be your govt, which seeks only to protect you.

It is not just intelligence agencies who spy on Americans. There are big corporations, community organizations, religious organizations and even individuals spy on Americans. There is one big well coordinated network.
I have my own experience.
http://stalkingnightmare.wordpress.com/about/

Well folks like you are always crying about how screwed up the country is. So maybe the government is looking to thin the herd and help you out. But maybe they come for you instead, it's kind of a crap shoot.

Darnell: I bet your one of the 13% who think congress is doing a good job. You do realize it's congress' job to provide the over sight for these programs. Fillibustering every single piece of legislation is called obstructionism. Your pathetic GOP/T-Nuts are our county's #1 problem.

No. No more Drones and no more Data Mining until the proper checks and balances are put in place. I understand that these can be important tools for a whole host of situations, but until their use is completely in line with the Bill of Rights, and the power cannot be abused without clearly defined punishment. NO. I'm tired of secret programs and courts and whistleblowers being called traitors. If these programs are so good for the America, then their is no reason to keep them hidden.
So No. I don't trust my government with this power over me. I only trust my fellow American citizens when it comes to protecting my rights.

Hey, I'm going on vacation next week...who do I contact to see if they'll keep an eye on my place? Can they program those things to feed my dogs and let them out a couple times a day? It's my tax dollars, after all.... C'mon, time to serve and protect.

What a shocker...as if they would ever limit themselves. Once that Patriot Act was passed, the cat was out of the bag. It might be inconvenient, those drones watching you all the time, but at least you know you're safe...from everybody but the govt.

This is just the beginning. They won't go back willingly. Did we really beat the Russians? Or become them?

I'm not convinced that its our government. could be, but could be private banking cartel (with many globalist banksters that don't give a rip about this country). we need to throw the Israel firsters and british out of our government. do like they did with tobacco and make it political suicide for any politician accepting money from them, or taking bribes from them. THAT I could see using surveillance on.

June 20, 2013 at 2:08 am |

Gary in Maine

You know damn well it not the administration, it this do absolutely nothing congress. All these surveillance progranms have been in place spaning multiple presidencies. This obstructionist GOP is our problem. THEY and only they create the laws on which these organizations are supposed to follow. If the obstructionists in congress do nothing, no laws get enacted. OUT WITH THE GOP/T NUTS

June 20, 2013 at 6:35 am |

F. Lee Hall III

You are thinking of the former Bush administration who tried to instill all Americans with terror, using words like "Patriot, and Homeland", (reminds one of the Nazis).

June 20, 2013 at 11:47 am |

Chuck Henry

If we had become the Soviet Union, your anti-government stance would have you in a cell in Lubyanka right now having your eyeballs torn from the sockets while you screamed like a little girl and confessed. I like how you can compare a regime that killed 20 Milliion of it's own people to the US. Wow.

This is a flawed argument. I grew in east Germany, they did not arrest you for everything. They kept secret files on us and when you applied for certain jobs those files were used against you. If you went to far with your opinions then you disappeared, get your facts straight, the US is heading towards becoming the USSR.

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